The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-04-09
MYSTERY OF TIE WAR.
INCIDENT OF THE SIEGE OF ATLANTA.
Tragic Tale OF "a Memorable Time In Amer
lean History-The Unknown Visitor
ut the Hospitals.

OF all the weird stories which have
been told of the siege of Atlanta, says
the Constitution, one of the most tragic
and sensational has never yet seen print.
Ii was when Sherman was playing
hide and seek with the army OF General
Joe Johnston. ON the way from Chatta-
nooga. that a woman OF ravishing beauty
made her appearance In Atlanta. Where
she came from no one knew; of her peo-
Pile she never spoke; but II was surmiscd
by some ladies who had gotten near her
that she bore some secret sorrow, per-
haps the sacrifice of some loved one ON
| the bloody fields of Virginia.
| Day by day train loads of wounded
confederates reached Atlanta from the
| front. The ladies of the city engaged in
hospital work with zeal worthy the
sisters and wives of brave men Jealous
as all were In this work, Miss Emma.
which was the only name by which she
/ was generally known. became noted be-
cause of her endurance and fidelity. As
she would pass from ward TO ward the
diving men would turn their eyes smil-
| ingly toward her. She was indeed the
angel of the hospital.
Notwithstanding all this, the eye OF
suspicion fell upon her. Was she spyf
hy most people, and yet there were
those who detected in her manner some
thing which they did not like. But this
| suspicion was hushed by the uniformly
philanthropic work in which Miss Emma
was engaged.
At last Sherman's lines were drawn
around the city aud the people began to
experiences all the horror of n siege. The
sick and the dying were multiplied. and
III r. To fnU
them became exhausted. Miss Emma
grew pale with her excessive work.
Rest she declined to take while n wound
was to be bandaged or a dying man
longed for kind words.
The sound of revelry was often heard
; amid the din of battle Even when the
people were driven into their bomb
proofs they sang and danced. FOR they
: | recognized the philosophy OF driving
grief away by pleasure Balls. some
what impromptu, IL Is true. were given
and the ladies looked more charming II
their confederate toilets than they coulS
have looked in silks The officers wer
ALWAYS the beaux of such occasions, 70
beauty is attracted by bravery.
To these gatherings Miss Emma neve
went. but there came time when sh
!, was pressed TO GO The colonel of
l gallant infantry regiment had invited he
< urged 10 go as a relief from the pressin
y hospital work which was slowly KILN
t her She at last consented. and wa
+ soon in the whirl of the merry dancers.
: The kind lady with whom Miss Emm
), lodged did not awake until the su
Il was an hour high next day. She ha
n not heard Miss Emma enter. but n
, dream of harm entered her mind. 81
/ determined not to disturb the poor lad,
but 20 let her sleep on, for did not h'
. faithful service entitle her to restg
!. There were excited crowds upon Il
"a streets Orderlies on horseback dashs
- to and fro The roar of Sherman's a
tillefy was becoming more and mo
terrific There was something in the a
which announced that crisis was in
minent
We But still the lady slept.
IS The hour was growing late, and q
ne excitement of the people outside was
Y. creasing.
all A knock nj Miss Emma door hruug
nd no answer. When the door was hur
. open a singular sight was presented.
Reclining upon the sofa, Miss Emf
TO laid as If in peaceful sleep She W
To- dressed in white. with yellow b'
around her waist, and blue cape throN
p, carelessly across her shoulder. Up
the finger of one hand was an elega
-, diamond ring The other arm. sno'
- in It's whiteness. was thrown above
heal She presented beautiful pictu
VI She did not move upon the entrance
NJ her friend
nu To the touch she was cold.
If She breathed al all. it was SO quie
a that death could not ST.. :, more.